Curly's drabbles
by TheCurlymop
Summary: Collected tumblr drabbles focussing on Miles, Tom and Kitty. Each chapter is a separate drabble.
1. 1 Momas' First Meeting

**Inspired by buildarocketboys' tags on a post on tumblr reading 'Can I apologise in advance for basically everything I will ever do'. **

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Tom had been doing quite well, he hadn't snapped at anyone who'd made a comment on his accent and he'd kept his head down when someone had made a comment about them letting 'all kinds of riffraff into the hallowed halls nowadays'. He hadn't needed to talk to anyone until his final lecture of the day. This one is a little more practical and requires them to partner up. He looks around awkwardly for a few seconds when someone lounges up to him. He knows that's not a real verb but it's the only way to describe the way this boy moves. He holds his hand out and Tom takes it uncomfortably. He can't refuse the first offer of friendship he's had all day even if this boy looks nothing like he belongs here.

'Miles Hesketh Thorne. General idiot. Please excuse anything I do in the course of knowing me, my sister tells me I'm a great embarrassment to everyone I encounter.'

'Gillan, Tom,' he says shortly, 'I don't anticipate anything you do in the course of this class requires you to apologise beforehand.'

The boy, Hesketh Thorne, raises an eyebrow. 'You underestimate my powers of idiocy my dear Gillan, you really do.'

Years later, Tom would remember their first meeting with a smile. True to his warnings, Miles had indeed caused chaos, adding too much of one chemical and then another and then when the test tube had exploded, Tom had tried desperately to pretend he wasn't working with him. It hadn't worked and they'd been put on lab clean up for the next four weeks. By the end of that, Tom had learnt that he wasn't going to shake Miles off easily and in spite of the madness that followed him everywhere, he wasn't sure he wanted to.

Miles had settled down now but occasionally his old self would pop out, mostly after a few drinks and Tom would fondly smile and then when he became too much he would try to remember that Miles had already apologised for whatever he might do and Tom, the fool, had accepted it.

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**The lovely Needle suggested I post this here as well as on my tumblr. Hope you enjoyed, reviews are wonderful and made of sunshine :)**


	2. 2 When Miles is Silent

**When Miles is silent**

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'Miles, you're quiet this evening,' comments Tom.

'Hmm?'

'Miles, if you don't start talking I'm just going to assume your fantasising about Mary Pickford in her bathtub again…'

'What?'

'I heard you in your sleep – I don't know if you sounded more enthusiastic about the bathtub or the girl inside it but there are some things I really don't need to hear.'

'Oh, sorry old chap, you'll be pleased to know that there were no bathtubs involved this time…'

Tom groans. 'I did not need to know that Miles.'

* * *

*A few days later*

'Thinking about Mary Pickford again?' Tom teases.

'Hmm? What?'

Tom had assumed that Miles was off fantasising again but now he looked up at Tom and he could see that Miles didn't look his usual cheerful self. In fact, if Tom looked closely, the edges of Miles' eyes were red-rimmed.

'I… oh never mind. You're quiet that's all.'

'Yes,' Miles sighs, 'I, well, I'm just not feeling very joyful this evening. I had some bad news this morning and it's only now that I can really let it sink in.'

Tom remembered that the post had come with its usual fat letter from home for him but he hadn't realised that Miles had received anything.

'Bad news from home?' he enquired sympathetically.

'Yes. I suppose it's silly to be so torn up about it but I am all the same.'

'Do you, I mean, would it help to tell me?' Tom can't believe he's inviting Miles to share his feelings. Kitty's influence must be greater than he had realised.

'My dog Arthur died a few days ago. He got caught in a poachers trap and the wound got infected. I didn't know he was even ill so it was a bit of a shock.' Miles looks up at Tom to test his reaction and Tom schools his face into something resembling sadness.

'Oh Tom! Don't pull that face, if it gets stuck like that, Kitty will never be able to talk to you again without laughing!'

Miles lets out a few giggles and then seems to remember what he had been talking about and sobers quickly. Tom returns his face to normal and wonders if Miles wants to talk a bit more about his dog.

They spend the evening with Miles telling stories about his adventures with Arthur and Tom listening and marvelling at how different Miles' youth was to his own.

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**It's always buildarocketboys who seems to inspire these things. I wrote this in her ask box and I hope she won't mind me posting it here :)**


	3. 3 Miles and Sylvie

**Modern au Miles babysits Sylvie**

** featuring my very favourite disney film :)**

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Miles loves babysitting Sylvie, it gives him a chance to watch films and play at being princesses without getting strange looks from everyone. Tom calls it 'a chance to exercise his inner child' but he says it with a smirk that indicates he thinks it's hilarious and Miles is grateful that only half the photos he takes make it on to facebook. In most of them he is wearing a tiara but then again so is Sylvie so at least he's not alone.

Tom and Kitty are going out for the evening and Miles happily agreed to spend his own evening with Sylvie, it wasn't as if he would have to change his plans very much anyway. He had decided to introduce Sylvie to the magic of his favourite older Disney film, Sleeping Beauty. What with Sylvie's obsession with dragons and princesses and fairies, he thought she might like it.

When Tom and Kitty leave the house, Miles and Sylvie are already curled up on the sofa next to each other, a bowl of chocolate and sliced fruit in front of them and Sleeping Beauty starting on the screen, the old fashioned opening credits rolling and the lush music cascading out of the expensive sound system Miles had convinced Tom to buy.

Sylvie immediately sympathises with the youngest fairy, Merryweather, while Miles remembers how sorry he feels for the middle fairy, Fauna. Caught in the middle of the other two, he knew exactly how that felt as he was often called upon to referee Kitty and Thomas' disagreements…

When the evil Maleficent arrives, Sylvie is instantly silent and her small hand winds into his larger one, squeezing tightly until the villainess disappears in a cloud of green fire.

The dancing scene captivates both of them and Miles knows he is going to be humming the tune for days, regardless of whether anyone can identify it. Sylvie sings along in a high clear voice even though she has no idea of the words and they are both sad when the scene ends. Meanwhile, the fairies disagreement over the housework provokes gales of laughter much like when Miles pretends to be Sylvie's noble steed.

By the climax of the action, Sylvie has crawled into Miles' lap and is sucking her thumb, eyes drooping. He finds himself in the same boat during some of the calmer bits too, he had forgotten how evocative the music was and watching all the characters fall asleep wasn't helping either. She becomes more alert when the Prince is fighting Maleficent and when she turns into a dragon he feels her tense up. Of course, all the dragons in their stories are friendly and helpful but this one definitely isn't. Maleficent dies and Sylvie cheers softly, still sleepy but pleased that it looks like a happy ending is on its way. The rest of the film is just as Miles remembers and Sylvie crows with laughter over the final image of the dancing princess with her gown changing colours as she dances.

When Kitty and Tom get home they find Miles and Sylvie waltzing around the room, Sylvie mostly asleep on his shoulder as he sways to the song on repeat on his iPod, trying not to sing along because that makes her kick him in annoyance.

The photo Tom takes gets the most likes that any photo of him ever has but he doesn't mind. He may have set it to the background on his phone as well…

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**Prompt: modern au Miles watching disney films with Sylvie from buildarocketboys on tumblr :) If you want to send me prompts, please do**

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: there is now a Crimson field forum set up by dear Needle called 'Of Poppies and Pairings' and it would be lovely to see you over there so we can discuss important and not so important things :)**


	4. 4 Momas' First Kiss

**(cross posted from tumblr. momas)**

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**First Kiss**

They're lying stomach down in the sunshine on the carpet in Miles' room. The silence wraps around them like the heat already has and Tom wonders if Miles has fallen asleep before he abruptly starts to speak.

'So Mary looked pretty today didn't she?'

Tom isn't sure what to say. Mary is pretty but he didn't notice her looking particularly different today.

'Spose,' he says, shrugging.

'I think she likes you.'

'What? What d'you mean _likes me_?'

He doesn't want her to like him. He's seen what the other girls do to the boys they like and it's not what he wants. They catcall and giggle from their perch on the wall as they watch the football and the boys. He just wants to be left alone to read his book. Ma says that's not normal for a boy of 12 but he's happy.

'She does like you, I've seen the way she looks at you. She wants you to kiss her.'

The line is delivered in a nonchalant fashion but Tom can hear the tension behind it.

'Well I don't want to kiss her,' he says forcefully, 'anyway, I wouldn't know what to do, I've never kissed anyone before.'

Miles rolls over onto his back so he can look at Tom.

'I've never kissed anyone either. We could practice if you like...'

'With what, your teddy bear?'

Miles flushes and looks away and Tom feels a moment of regret. It's an unspoken rule that they don't tease each other like that. They both have teddies after all so it's not as if Miles doesn't have ways to fire back at him. Surprisingly though, he doesn't.

'Well, I was thinking... with each other? I mean, as we're best friends we can trust each other and so we'd tell each other if we weren't very good?'

He sounds nervous. his voice wavering on every other word but to Tom it sounds like quite a good plan actually. Miles is his best friend after all and what are best friends for except to help each other.

''Alright,' he says, 'I'd rather you than Mary anyway.'

They sit up and face each other. Miles can't seem to stop licking his lips and Tom follows the movement of his tongue with fascination as it travels from one side of his pink mouth to the other.

'Alright,' Miles says shakily, 'I'm ready.'

Tom nods and they both lean in with their eyes wide open.

'OUCH!'

Their noses collide with a thump and they pull back, embarrassed.

'Right,' Tom is determined to do this properly now. 'I'll go this way and you go that way.'

Miles nods and they both lean in again, tilting their heads at 45 degree angles so that their still smarting noses are out of danger. Their lips meet and part again with a slightly sticky sound and retreating again, Tom realises he can taste the strawberries Miles had been eating earlier.

'That wasn't right,' scowls Miles. 'That's not how the do it in the movies.'

Tom is alarmed. The few movies he's seen have featured the main leads locked in the kind of embrace he associates with being held back from fighting with his brother. To him it always looks painful rather than romantic though all the sighing ladies in the cinema appear to disagree.

'Once more go then,' he sighs.

This time, Miles reaches out a tentative hand to Tom's jaw and guides him. The angle of this kiss is much more comfortable for both of them and instinctively, Tom reaches out a hand to Miles' face too. They kiss, lip to lip, and then experimental dabs of tongue until it gets too much for them and they part in fits of childish giggles. They lie on their backs, Tom tracing the cracks on the ceiling with his eyes and Miles with his eyes closed and a smile on his face.

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**Hope you enjoyed, this was inspired by builarcoketboys on tumblr who posted: **Important idea to think about: Miles and Tom knowing each other when they're young/teenagers and "practising" kissing with each other. Obviously it's Miles' bright idea.


	5. 5 Unsportsmanlike Behaviour

**Unsportsmanlike behaviour**

It's become traditional for staff and the more mobile patients to have friendly kickabouts in the evening. It's a good way to exercise and let off steam and they never really get that competitive. On evening it's getting late and the light's fading. Tom, the acknowledged star player due to his years playing on the mean streets of the Gorbals, has been getting more aggressive over the game, frustrated with how quickly the slimmer lighter Miles can change direction and he thunders up behind Miles, determined to take the ball. Miles, having just hopped over a patch of mud, grins as he hears Tom swear and start to slip behind him. Suddenly he feels a tugging sensation and he begins to fall too, following the movement of his trousers which Tom has apparently grabbed. He lies there, stunned, feeling a breeze where he wouldn't normally expect one and listens to Tom swearing profoundly but intelligibly in that thick accent of his.

Foley appears over him grinning. 'I think that's the end of the game lads.'

Miles shuffles to get more comfortable. 'Tom, did you just pull my trousers down?'

'Miles!'

'That's certainly what it looked like,' says a still grinning Foley.

'I just grabbed onto something to keep me upright,' objects Tom. 'Your trousers just happened to be there… you really should keep your braces on and then they would have stayed up.'

'I don't know old chap, you did exercise considerable force…'

'Shut up Miles.'

* * *

As they are walking back to the tent, arms slung over each other's shoulders, mud flaking off at every footstep, Miles is still sniggering.

'You know you owe me for this. The humiliation alone is worth something.'

'You weren't humiliated, you enjoyed the attention you smug bastard.'

'Well I _was_ humiliated, whether you choose to believe it or not, and for that, I demand satisfaction.'

'I'm not going to fight you in a duel,' sighs Tom, rolling his eyes.

'No, but I am going to teach you to play cricket and then I will be able to fight you like a gentleman. We'll have no more displays of unsportsmanlike behaviour from you Captain Gillan.'

/

It's late evening the following week and Miles has been threatening Tom for days about learning cricket so when he starts up again about how it's a gentleman's sport and really, it's fun too, Tom gives in. Miles' eyes light up and he is back with a set of stumps and a bat before Tom can really start to regret saying yes.

'Right, so for tonight we'll just have the one batter – it'll be easier for you to know what's going on and we can focus on some skills. We need at least one fielder, though we might discover that Tom can't hit the ball –'

Miles is cut off as Tom elbows him hard in the ribs.

'Hey,' he protests, 'I thought the point was to teach you a sport that meant you couldn't do any damage? Your elbows should remain at your sides Captain!'

They set up a cricket pitch and manage to cajole two soldiers into fielding for them before Miles places the bat in Tom's hands.

'Now Tom, batting is a serious business.'

'All I have to do it hit the ball surely?'

'Ah, but you have to hit the ball so that it can't be caught, my friend, and that can take practice.'

'Can we just try it out Miles, before you try to teach me,' sighs Tom.

Miles positions Tom with his bat in front of the stumps and walks off with the ball, rolling it between his palms and wondering how hard he should bowl. He didn't want to alarm Tom but at the same time it wouldn't do to make it too easy for him.

He turns at an appropriate distance, checking that his fielders are still upright and vaguely paying attention before he runs up and bowls the ball straight at the stumps. It connects with the bat with a resounding crack and flies off over the heads of the fielders as they watch with their mouths open.

'Blimey Tom, are you sure you've never played before?'

Tom looks a little sheepish.

'I may not have played cricket before but it seems pretty simple to me. My brothers and I would always pretend with a ball and a stick so I've had a lot of practice with that bit anyway. I guess what you really need to teach me are the rules.'

Miles beams.

'Well Tom, it just so happens that I am the right man for the job. My father was the umpire at the village cricket games and he was training me up to take his place before we got posted. I know everything there is to know about cricket and soon you will too. Now, let's talk about fielders…'

Miles couldn't deny that he was sad he hadn't found a sport Tom was bad at but still, it would be nice to talk about something different for a change.

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**Ok, so my headcanon is that although Tom was obviously the clever boy at school, he also wasn't bad at sport. His mother used to chuck him out of the house when she thought he was reading too much and so he'd join in with the boys playing football on the street, hence his skill there. Tom is naturally talented at these things but has never really learnt any of the rules, Miles is the other way around, he worked hard to get as good as he is and he loves the tactical side of sports. He finds it really annoying that Tom is so naturally talented yet generally uncompetitive when playing sport.**

**This was based on a gifset from tumblr and then Needle (I think) wanted to read Miles teaching Tom cricket :)**


	6. 6 Umbrellas

**Umbrella Meeting**

"It's been windy for days but today is the first time it's rained for a long time and Tom is very glad he's remembered his umbrella. He's brought it every day this week actually, ignoring Miles' rude comments and looking up at the greyish clouds to prove his point. Miles is convinced that with the hot weather, it'll never actually rain but today he's been proved wrong. People scurry along the street, most cowering under improvised coverings as Tom strides confidently, completely covered and only wincing slightly at the deafening rumbles of thunder. He strides a bit too confidently in fact and ends up with his foot in quite a deep puddle. As he steps out it becomes clear that his shoe has developed a leak and he now has soggy socks, something he wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. He stands there contemplating his situation when all of a sudden there is a loud noise, an odd feeling from his umbrella and an exclamation of surprise. Turning, he sees that a young woman has collided with his umbrella and in the process her own umbrella has collapsed entirely. She is already completely drenched, dark hair hanging in inky tendrils across her forehead and a drip on the end of her nose. As he moves closer to her, holding his umbrella so it shelters both of them, he tells himself he is only doing the gentlemanly thing. It has nothing to do with her enchanting profile and adorable muttered cursing. She registers that she is somehow not being rained on and turns, a smile that makes him catch his breath graces her features.  
'I'm very sorry,' he says, 'I'm afraid that was my fault. Can I offer you shelter under mine?'

"He smiles because he's been told that he needs to be friendlier and he receives a tentative smile in return.

'That would be very kind of you Mr…'

"'Gillan, Tom Gillan.'

"'I'm Kitty.'

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**So, for those of you who don't know, I've got a job which is why I've not been around so much but this was written when I got bored of doing expenses and someone had written 'umbrella meeting' as the description for an expense and I was like oh yeah, umbrellas and then this happened.**


	7. 7 Apodyopis

**Apodyopis - **_The act of mentally undressing someone. This gets a little smuttier than usual as you might imagine._

On the first day, Miles had decided he'd try to blend in. No-one needed to know about his 'predilections' as his mother had termed it. Accordingly, he had sat with a group of other boys from his corridor, some of whom he'd known from school and they'd joked about their summer exploits. He'd managed to fudge something about being entangled by a local girl and everyone had nodded knowingly and told him he'd had a lucky escape.

Then he sees the boy. Man really. He doesn't look like anyone else in the room, he's obviously carefully dressed but there is no way that his clothes come from the same exclusive establishments that Miles and his friends patronise. Nevertheless, as the man moves to sit near the front of the lecture theatre, Miles catches a glimpse of how well fitted his trousers and jacket actually are.

The man has broad shoulders, he's possibly used to lifting heavy things but his waist is narrow and his hips are slim and neat. He's tall, probably taller by a few inches than Miles himself and he shakes off an image of having to look up to him. He can't think like this, especially not on his first day.

As the lecture begins, Miles finds his attention keeps coming back to the same upright broad shoulders in front of him. He gets distracted by the way his hair curls over his collar and how when he turns his head, there is a glimpse of moles dotting down his neck. Miles wonders where that trail leads. His face is pale so is his torso paler or has he been outside all summer like Miles? Does his dark hair make a reappearance on his chest and would Miles be able to follow a trail of it down his stomach? Would that stomach be well defined or maybe have just a hint of softness to it, would he let Miles rest his head there and bask in the comfort of another human like him?

With difficulty Miles shakes himself out of these dreams. He can't get distracted, especially if he wants to stay here, away from home and his parents. The image he has drawn in his mind stays with him and later he can't stop himself from taking it further until the man is stood before him, all slim hipped and gently muscular, waiting for Miles to join him in the fantasy.

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This was a prompt from the lovely GeneFlowers and you should go and read her crimson field drabbles as well :)


	8. 8 Thunder

**The continuous sound of thunder**

Tom wakes to the sound of thunder, the continuous rumble gradually fades until all he can hear is the rain hitting the window panes with a clear sharp sound. Beside him Kitty stirs and murmurs his name.

He doesn't reply. Hopefully she'll think he's still asleep. He doesn't want her to know about what that sound still does to him. He can hear gunfire, the cries of the men, the constant pounding of the rain on the canvas of the operating tent. His shoulders start to tense as he recalls standing by his table for hours on end, sometimes hardly aware that the bodies in front of him were changing.

Kitty doesn't know about it and he doesn't want to tell her. She saw enough as a VAD, she doesn't need to know that her experiences seem like a holiday compared with his. In fact, that's what it felt like when he returned to the field hospital, like he was on holiday. he was so cheerful in the day and only Miles saw him at night. They could only hear the gunfire sporadically but that was enough to send him into his nightmares./

He is shaken out of his introspection by arms curling around him. Kitty tucks herself against his side, still mostly asleep while Miles loops his arms around Tom's waist from behind, his firm chest snug against Tom's back.

It's alright,' he soothes. 'It's just thunder.'

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_I found this in my writing notebook along with a few other drabbles so that was a nice discovery! I think Needle prompted me Paranoia but this turned out more to be fear… sorry hope you like anyway :)_


	9. 9 Brave

**Brave**

'Sylvie, you're going to have to be brave for me. Just a moment and it'll all be over ok?'

Sylvie nods through her tears and Tom tries to stifle the urge to hit whoever did this to her. He needs to keep a level head and a steady hand if he's going to do this without hurting her much further. Anyway, it's Miles who will explode about this, not Tom. Tom is the reliable, boring, unemotional one. Miles is the volcano of emotions who will be absolutely overcome at the idea that anyone wants to hurt Sylvie. Still, he supposes it was only a playground accident really, even if Sylvie was so upset that she refused to let the school nurse take care of her and insisted that her Doctor Daddy had to come and look after her. It's a good thing he wasn't at the hospital today.

As the tweezers enter the wound, Sylvie takes in a great breath and then it's done, the stone is in the grip of the pincers and her knee is ready to be cleaned properly and bandaged up. He wonders if she'd prefer Miles to do it. He's always been better at the cheering up, making things fun which shouldn't be. They once spent a whole afternoon cleaning the kitchen, even the floor because Miles had found a way of making it fun for them.

But Sylvie doesn't seem to mind that it's his rougher hands cleaning her knees and assorted other grazes and when he remembers that there's a secret supply of princess plasters he even gets a little wobbly smile. She doesn't make a fuss when he says that the one on her knee is too big and needs a special grown up plaster and when she's finally sorted out she holds out her arms for a hug in a way that reminds him heartbreakingly of her mother.

He picks her up and carries her out of the bathroom, placing her in front of the TV and putting the DVD she's been watching in. He needs to go into the kitchen and swear loudly at the cupboards and perhaps drink some whiskey flavoured tea but she won't let him go. They end up snuggled together on the sofa, his eyelids drooping as he dozes, comforted by the warm weight of Sylvie slumped against him. When Miles gets home, he's almost calm again.

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_I had Sara Bareilles' Brave going round my head today and then this came out. Not sure quite what happened to Kitty but it means that Tom and Miles are looking after Sylvie together because wouldn't they be amazing fathers :)_


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